The Three Essentials of Practice

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

As it is written in the Maha Prajna Sutra, it is necessary: 1. To concentrate our mind on the cognition of enlightment (the perfect wisdom) 2. To focus on the thought of great compassion; and 3. To learn the skillful means of emptiness (the universal reality behind...

The Five and Eight Precepts

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

The Five Precepts The Buddha’s teaching is not a system of salvation by faith but a path to enlightenment and liberation from suffering. The path unfolds in three main stages: moral discipline (sila), concentration (samadhi), and wisdom (pañña). These three...

Giving Thanks Without Forgetting Others

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

A Discourse on Thanksgiving Weekend given by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi I dedicate this essay to the memory of my closest friend, Ven. Bhikkhu Sumedha, who expired in Sri Lanka on Dec. 21, 2006, minutes after I finished writing it. I dedicate it to him as a true monk and...

The Buddha and His Message

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

Lecture on Vesak Day United Nations, 15 May 2000 Prologue To begin, I would like to express my pleasure to be here today, on this auspicious occasion of the first international recognition and celebration of Vesak at the United Nations. Though I wear the robe of a...

Dhamma Without Rebirth?

Aug 4, 2008 | Articles

In line with the present-day stress on the need for religious teachings to be personally relevant and directly verifiable, in certain Dhamma circles the time-honored Buddhist doctrine of rebirth has come up for severe re-examination. Although only a few contemporary...